Salisbury East
At 9,273 residents, Salisbury East combines a median age of 40 with a 31.7% overseas-born population and an 80.4% separate-house share. Household income is $1,163 a week, placing it at the 22.5th percentile, while 61.2% of homes have 3 bedrooms. Compared with nearby Salisbury and Para Hills, the suburb's clearest identity is its established detached housing, although car use shapes daily life: 82.1% drive to work and only 5.3% use public transport. The mix supports practical family demand because conventional houses suit established households, while the overseas-born share adds international links without making the suburb younger than the national profile.
Population
9,273
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,163/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
85
Median House
$814K
First quarter 2026
That sharp move means buyers should compare current listings with recent sales rather than assume last year's budget still works. The 80.4% separate-house share and 61.2% three-bedroom concentration suit buyers seeking conventional family layouts, while apartments account for only 3.6%. A reported $1,300 monthly mortgage figure and a 25.8% mortgage-to-income ratio, with mortgage stress not flagged, may support borrowing capacity for some households. However, household income sits at the 22.5th percentile, so deposit size and lender assessment remain important.
For Buyers
That sharp move means buyers should compare current listings with recent sales rather than assume last year's budget still works. The 80.4% separate-house share and 61.2% three-bedroom concentration suit buyers seeking conventional family layouts, while apartments account for only 3.6%. A reported $1,300 monthly mortgage figure and a 25.8% mortgage-to-income ratio, with mortgage stress not flagged, may support borrowing capacity for some households. However, household income sits at the 22.5th percentile, so deposit size and lender assessment remain important.
For Investors
Investor demand rests on a 24.3% renting share, $290 weekly rent and a 5.6% vacancy rate. The rental case should be compared with the suburb's 31.9% outright ownership and 39.8% mortgage tenure: a sizeable owner base can support stability, while almost a quarter of households still need rental stock. Development activity is notable at 87 applications in 12 months, including a detached dwelling and verandah works, which may keep established housing refreshed rather than transform its character.
Development Activity
Total DAs
412
Last 12 Months
85
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+23.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Salisbury East
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Keller Road Primary School
Madison Park School
Salisbury East High School
Demographics
With a median age of 40, Salisbury East sits at 0.0 years from the national comparison, so its age profile is broadly typical rather than markedly younger or older. The overseas-born share is 31.7%, 10.1 percentage points above the national figure, with Arabic, Guj, Italian, Punjabi and Greek among the recorded languages. University attainment is 19.6%, 10.5 points below the national comparison, which helps explain the strong presence of trades, clerical, labouring and community or personal occupations. English ancestry counts 3,706 people, while Christianity and no religion are recorded at 3,760 and 3,745. Compared with nearby Salisbury and Para Hills, this points to a settled working-household profile with international links and lower formal tertiary attainment.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
80.4%
Houses
16.0%
Townhouse
3.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Salisbury East is detached-dominant: 80.4% of dwellings are separate houses, 16.0% are semi-detached and 3.6% are apartments. Three-bedroom homes make up 61.2%, with 20.5% containing 4 or more bedrooms, so the stock is oriented to family-sized occupation rather than compact living. Tenure is split between 31.9% owned outright, 39.8% mortgaged and 24.3% rented, leaving 4.0% in other arrangements. Compared with nearby Salisbury and Para Hills, the useful distinction is the suburb's house-led product, so buyers should focus on land, condition and exact location when assessing value.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$290
Census 2021
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$599
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.6%
Unoccupied
215
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
38.3%
Couples with children
38.3%
Couples, no children
21.9%
Single parent
2,470
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads Salisbury East's employment base at 19.9% and 436 workers, followed by education at 10.6% and 232, construction at 9.2% and 202, retail at 9.2% and 201, and manufacturing at 9.1% and 199. This mix links local work to essential services, trades and production rather than a single office sector. Full-time employment is 57.8%, participation is 53.5% and unemployment is 7.8%, while household income is $1,163 a week at the 22.5th percentile, below the national median position. SEIFA results are also below middle benchmarks: education and occupation decile 2, economic resources decile 4, and disadvantage and advantage deciles 2 and 2. The higher economic-resources decile than the other scores suggests a modest resource buffer, not broad affluence.
Unemployment
7.8%
Labour Force
4,056
Unemployed
316
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.8%
Part-time
36.3%
Participation
53.5%
Employed
3,740
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.6%
Postgraduate
4.1%
Born Overseas
31.7%
Dwellings
3,621
Transport to Work
Daily life is strongly car-oriented: 82.1% travel as car drivers, compared with 5.3% using public transport and 1.1% walking or cycling. Work-from-home is 5.8%, so transport costs and road access are more relevant than in a transit-led suburb. Families have access to 3 local government schools, covering 2 primary schools and 1 secondary school, but enrolment zones should be checked against the exact address. The recorded crime rate is 41.3 incidents per 1,000 residents, and IRSAD is in decile 2, below the middle deciles. These figures make practical inspection important because household needs, school access and street conditions can vary within a 6.87 square kilometre suburb.
Drive
82.1%
Public Transport
5.3%
Walk / Cycle
1.1%
Work from Home
5.8%
Population Forecast
+0.91%/yr
(+175 people/yr)
EstablishedSalisbury East has an established forecast profile, with annual growth of 0.91% driven primarily by overseas migration. Compared with the wider area's 16.2% population change over 10 years, this points to steady rather than rapid expansion, while the shift trajectory is labelled Mixed. The affordability trend is Stable, moving from 49.9 in 2011 to 50.9 in 2021, and real income growth is 7.5%. The core gentrification signal is score 16, stage Not gentrifying, even though the shift model records score 30 and Early signs. That split matters because established homes and modest annual growth support incremental change, while migration can sustain demand without a clear redevelopment wave.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+331
Net Internal / yr
-292
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +17% since 2011, Net internal outflow -292/yr, Strong overseas inflow +331/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
383
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
41.3
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Salisbury East compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Salisbury East a good suburb to live in?
With 9,273 residents, a median age of 40 and 80.4% separate houses, Salisbury East suits buyers wanting established family housing. Car dependence is high at 82.1%, so daily convenience depends more on road access than public transport.
What schools are in Salisbury East?
Salisbury East has 3 government schools: 2 primary schools and 1 secondary school. The named schools are Keller Road Primary School, Madison Park School and Salisbury East High School. Check the enrolment zone for the exact address.
Is Salisbury East safe?
The recorded crime rate is 41.3 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 383 total incidents. That figure does not replace an address-level check, so inspect streets at different times and compare recent local reports before renting or buying.
How is Salisbury East's population changing?
Population change across the wider area is forecast at 16.2% over 10 years, with annual growth of 0.91% driven primarily by overseas migration. The trajectory is Mixed, so Salisbury East looks more like a steady established market than a rapid expansion corridor.
What languages are spoken in Salisbury East?
The overseas-born share is 31.7%. Recorded languages include Arabic, Guj, Italian, Punjabi and Greek, with counts of 84, 64, 57, 52 and 46 respectively. English ancestry is also prominent at 3,706 people.
What development is occurring in Salisbury East?
Development activity reached 87 applications in the past 12 months. Examples include 1 single-storey detached dwelling and verandah alterations, pointing to additions and small-scale housing work across an established suburb.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), SA Department for Housing and Urban Development (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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